Hejduk reflects some; Selanne, Carlyle weigh in on Chara hit

A few second with Milan Hejduk, about what it’s been like lately around the Avs’ room and what he thinks for the final few weeks of a season gone bad. He said “we’ll see” about continuing his career next year. But I think he’ll be back at least one more year.
Hejduk only needs one more goal for 20, which would be for his 11th straight NHL season with the Avs. That would tie Joe Sakic’s franchise record.

Interesting listening to Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle today. He can be surly with the media, but there’s no denying he’s a smart hockey man and good coach.
Here’s Carlyle on one of the latest NHL trends, the “high cycle”, which he said the Avs use:
“This hockey club loves to come with a four-man rush. They will embark a fourth guy on the cycle. On the change side, you’ll see their D man will be very, very active off the blue line. There’s a lot of teams doing it, and a lot of teams that have had success in creating more offense from it, from a high cycle. We went through defensive schemes and how we’re supposed to defend that. I don’t think we’re any different from any other team, when they activate those people you’ve got to collapse down at your net. You’ve got have three or four guys down at the net and if they’re going to send three or four guys to the net.”

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Carlyle on the Zdeno Chara-Max Pacioretty controversy: “It’s unfortunate, the situation. It’s one of those hockey plays that you don’t like to see happen. How do you stop those things from happening? All those flashpoints in the building – we’ve gone from seamless glass to boards that have some more give versus the old boards that were rock solid, and the equipment has changed and the players are bigger and faster. All those things are added to a game that’s played at a very, very high pace on an ice surface that is the same size it’s always been. There are going to be collisions and there are going to be unfortunate situations.”

Said former Av and Ducks star Teemu Selanne: “I don’t think it was a dirty hit. Things happen so fast out there. People just don’t know.”

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John-Michael Liles will not play tonight. The Avs officially will have zero players who played the full 82 this year. Jonas Holos is in.

Hejduk is really looking pretty old these days. It looks like his passion for the game has been sucked right out of him. I would not be surprised to see him hang up his NHL skates after this year and go home and play for his country for another year or two.
It’s not that he couldn’t still be somewhat effective in the NHL, but rather, what more can he give to a team that is still going to be rebuilding for the next 5 years? I think he’s done.

http://twitter.com/patrit19 Patrick McCauley

The whole team is playing bad, the Duke doesn’t play well with 3rd/4th liners when he’s on the 1st line. I think Duke is the veteran forward we need during the rebuild. He’s one of the few players on the team who have experienced winning the cup. And he’s still effective, but when the whole team plays bad, no one’s effective.

GOAVS19

…..Ya, he’s soooo lifeless out there…. He’s definitely not going to hit the 20 goal mark again this year. Give me a break, Hejduk is by far our best true sniper right now. No he’s not putting up more than 20 something goals a year anymore, but who else on our team is? Ya that’s right, no one is….

jacob

I didn’t say he looked old playing the game. I said he looked old. In other words…TIRED and completely drained. Look at him in that video. That is not a picture of a guy who looks like he wants to be part of this current group of players for another year. God damn, i hate when people don’t read people’s comments and just assume everything.
And sorry, but no. Hejduk is not our best sniper. The Avs best sniper is now playing in St. Louis. He wears # 25.

jacob

Hejduk is really looking pretty old these days. It looks like his passion for the game has been sucked right out of him. I would not be surprised to see him hang up his NHL skates after this year and go home and play for his country for another year or two.
It’s not that he couldn’t still be somewhat effective in the NHL, but rather, what more can he give to a team that is still going to be rebuilding for the next 5 years? I think he’s done.

http://twitter.com/patrit19 Patrick McCauley

The whole team is playing bad, the Duke doesn’t play well with 3rd/4th liners when he’s on the 1st line. I think Duke is the veteran forward we need during the rebuild. He’s one of the few players on the team who have experienced winning the cup. And he’s still effective, but when the whole team plays bad, no one’s effective.

GOAVS19

…..Ya, he’s soooo lifeless out there…. He’s definitely not going to hit the 20 goal mark again this year. Give me a break, Hejduk is by far our best true sniper right now. No he’s not putting up more than 20 something goals a year anymore, but who else on our team is? Ya that’s right, no one is….

jacob

I didn’t say he looked old playing the game. I said he looked old. In other words…TIRED and completely drained. Look at him in that video. That is not a picture of a guy who looks like he wants to be part of this current group of players for another year. God damn, i hate when people don’t read people’s comments and just assume everything.
And sorry, but no. Hejduk is not our best sniper. The Avs best sniper is now playing in St. Louis. He wears # 25.

Anonymous

Great record Milan. Why would are most loyal player who also took a pay cut bolt after all this??? He’s got another 2 yrs left in him. Get the line back of flash duke and matty and they will roll up some good #s……..

jacob

Why are you assuming that Fleischmann will be back playing next year? He’s nowhere close to being cleared to play hockey. He may never be able to return to the NHL.

You’re right it is just an assumption that he won’t have to retire or some crap. It is my wish that the line re-unite or even with #88!

Anonymous

Great record Milan. Why would are most loyal player who also took a pay cut bolt after all this??? He’s got another 2 yrs left in him. Get the line back of flash duke and matty and they will roll up some good #s……..

jacob

Why are you assuming that Fleischmann will be back playing next year? He’s nowhere close to being cleared to play hockey. He may never be able to return to the NHL.

You’re right it is just an assumption that he won’t have to retire or some crap. It is my wish that the line re-unite or even with #88!

Anonymous

You’re right it is just an assumption that he won’t have to retire or some crap. It is my wish that the line re-unite or even with #88!

Johnnyyb

When was the last time in Duk’s NHL career that he was a -21?? I’ll save you some time. NEVER! If the AVS will get their head out of their collective Arse for a change this team can be a playoff contender next year. Please talk some sense into these guys A.D. No more “We will take the most talented guy available” crap. We do not need another smallish center. We need to pick Couturier with our 1st round pick! We need to sign Shalla. And then pick up RFA Anisimov from NYR. We can easily out bid them for him. Shalla will be too old for the draft and with 44 goals so far this year it gives us 3 LW’s 2 of wich can also play Center! Couturier 6’4 195, Anisimov 6’4 202 and Shalla 6’2 205. our lines of Shalla/Stas/Jones + Couturier/Dutchie/Duk + Anisimov/Radar/Gali + McLeod/McClement/Winnick/Yip and 1 other. If Flash is good than what a great problem to fix. Our forwards would be set for years and we have way more talent and size which should also mean less injuries!

Johnnyyb

When was the last time in Duk’s NHL career that he was a -21?? I’ll save you some time. NEVER! If the AVS will get their head out of their collective Arse for a change this team can be a playoff contender next year. Please talk some sense into these guys A.D. No more “We will take the most talented guy available” crap. We do not need another smallish center. We need to pick Couturier with our 1st round pick! We need to sign Shalla. And then pick up RFA Anisimov from NYR. We can easily out bid them for him. Shalla will be too old for the draft and with 44 goals so far this year it gives us 3 LW’s 2 of wich can also play Center! Couturier 6’4 195, Anisimov 6’4 202 and Shalla 6’2 205. our lines of Shalla/Stas/Jones + Couturier/Dutchie/Duk + Anisimov/Radar/Gali + McLeod/McClement/Winnick/Yip and 1 other. If Flash is good than what a great problem to fix. Our forwards would be set for years and we have way more talent and size which should also mean less injuries!

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.

Chambers covers college and professional hockey for The Denver Post. He has written for the Post since 1994, after dumping his first 9-to-5 office job a couple years out of college. He primarily follows the University of Denver hockey team and helps cover the Avalanche.